Archive for the ‘Film’ Category

It’s not every day that the telephone rings and the man’s voice at the other end happens to be a legendary composer of film music. But that’s what happened to me yesterday. My home phone rang at 5pm and the caller was none other than John Williams, phoning from the famous Massachusetts music venue Tanglewood where […]

“Norman Stanley Fletcher, you have pleaded guilty to the charges brought by this court, and it is now my duty to pass sentence…” As far back as the age of eight or so, I recall shrinking at the opening credits of the television comedy series Porridge, as we hear the voice of a judge sentencing […]

Last Tuesday night I was having dinner with some Iranian Bahá’í friends who have two very lively and talkative daughters, aged 8 and 10. At some point during the meal, my hosts and I got on to the subject of our slightly beleaguered Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. “What are you talking about?” piped up the […]

I am a big fan of the TV series Heroes and I am proud to announce to the world that I have developed a super-power. Regrettably I cannot fly, or make myself invisible, or turn into a shirt-bursting, raging green goliath – with nevertheless perfect dental work – at the slightest provocation. Maybe it’s because […]

I recently took some younger friends to see the second film in The Chronicles of Narnia series, Prince Caspian. I use the young friends, of course, as my justification for going to see a sentimental family film filled with talking animals, galloping centaurs and misanthropic dwarves. But, to be honest, my going doesn’t really need […]